Now Open: Renowned Japanese Chef Raita Noda Has Brought His Theatrical Dining Experience to Wunderlich Lane
The 15-seat Redfern venue continues the eponymous chef's fondness for intimate dining experiences that are rich in storytelling and creativity.
The final pieces of the Wunderlich Lane puzzle are steadily falling into place, and there's now one more new restaurant to get excited about. Guided by celebrated Japanese chef Raita Noda, R by Raita Noda is the precinct's newly opened 15-seat restaurant designed to break down traditional barriers between chef and diner via a deeply theatrical dining experience.
Each guest is positioned around an open kitchen and afforded a front-row seat to the action. Over an uninterrupted three-hour journey, a tantalising degustation is crafted and served right before your eyes, as Noda and his team meticulously craft each dish with immaculate precision.
While the menu is a constantly changing one, on any visit you can expect dishes that highlight both technical mastery and seasonal produce. An eye-catching highlight is the Stairway to Heaven (pictured above) — presented with stunning exactness, this tiered sashimi collection currently features includes aged bass groper with radish sprouts, Tasmanian sea urchin with cuttlefish ravioli and three decadent cuts of aged wild bluefin tuna.
"Creating an unforgettable experience for every guest is at the heart of what we do," says chef Noda. "Our food is fine dining, but the atmosphere remains warm and inviting. The intimate setting allows us to engage with our guests, offering them a front-row seat to our craft. Many describe it as witnessing the spontaneity and artistry of a live jazz performance – elegant, dynamic, and full of soul."
An experience this refined also requires a striking design, and Japanese-born, Sydney-based architect Koichi Takada was more than up to the task. The darkly hued, moody interior evokes the sense of a drizzly Tokyo evening, with a flowing liquid prism ceiling casting a rippling effect throughout the space with the help of a single pendant light. The all-encompassing effect is completed with 2,000 shimmering chains cascading across the windows.
R by Raita Noda is currently open for a single nightly seating, but plans are underway for the restaurant to open for lunch in the near future. With Noda having built his name over the last decade at the eight-seat Raita Noda Chef's Kitchen in Surry Hills, the chef is no stranger to crafting intimate dining experiences — expect his new chapter to showcase an even greater sense of creativity, refinement and storytelling.
R by Raita Noda is now open Tuesday–Saturday from 7pm at 2 Baptist St, Redfern. Head to the venue's website for more information.
Images: Declan Blackall.
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